Any machines to avoid?

Is the Bernina 1008 out of your range? It's a good sturdy machine, used in schools all over the place. It's all mechanical, has a good handful of utility stitches, and nothing fancy to go wrong.

These will be bottom of the range light weight machines. Nothing wrong with them really, but if you do much with denim or curtain fabrics, they'll be a bit light weight for you.

Nah! We're here to help you! Reading patterns is like reading books: easy when you know how.

Elna have a good reputation here in the UK. Brother can be a bit hit and miss, though I've had a couple of good ones through my hands... They still have a bit of a rep for putting too many gadgets on a light weight base, but are improving. Toyota are quite sturdy in their mid to upper range, but I don't know about their lower priced machines.

Have you thought of looking at something pre-loved? You could get a really good machine from a dealer that came with a short guarantee but was a real bargain that way.

Sounds like my kind of machine! I'll go investigate... I like mechanical things without computers to go weird. Berninas seem to be well put together and sensible,but yowtch they are pricey. It would be handy to have a Bernina, as hopefully the feet and things would be interchangeable.

Hmmm. I would like to be able to do heavier fabrics, and definitely curtains. a lot of my craft endeavours are heavy-ish.

I have no problem with 2nd hand things, at all. There seems to be an awful lot of sewing machine shops here (Canberra, Australia), so I'd have to track down who was selling 2nd hand machines. But that's a good point, and a sensible way to get a Bernina.

Seeing that you're in Canberra, (Hi neighbour!), try Sew Simple in Phillip. They have a selection of second hand machines and a good reputation. Theresa really knows her stuff! I bought my 25 year old all-metal Husqvarna there and it has no trouble sewing through multiple layers of heavy fabric. Cost me less than A$200. It does really nice button holes too :) I've made coats, costumes and corsets on it with no dramas. It's my second machine. I have a Janome 9000 for embroidery and the more delicate stuff No affiliation, just a happy customer.

Gina

Awesome!!!! I'll give them a call tomorrow. That's excellent to know.

It's funny, before the Bernina, my mother (who is a very good sewer) had a Husquevarna and it was a rattly thing that didn't work. And yet their chainsaws are excellent. So I suspect we got a lemon (there was a lot of plastic in it). We had Berninas at school, and I liked them because they went quite slowly and were easy to control.

I'll call the Philip shop tomorrow.

G'day ant!

My DH rolled home one day with five (5) excellent Bernina machines that he picked up for AUS$5.00 at an auction! They were ex of the local TAFE and had seen years of hard work with students banging them about. But guess what? They all worked perfectly with a good selection of straight and zigzag stitches (including two stretch stitches, one of which was a three-step zig-zag!!!). I gave one each to my nieces, one each to my daughters and kept the little Sport for hauling along to quilting days. These machines have been just marvellous and all they cost me was the price of two bobbin cases, as two had been removed at the auction house (presumably by prospective bidders).

I reckon y'can't go past those old workhorse machines. They just never die! My thirty-year-old Singer is still churning out swimwear and dance-wear and requires a fraction of the service my new, you-beaut Janome does. Don't be afraid of second-hand machines - simply test drive carefully and you could wind up with a great bargain! ;-D

I like that story! Yeah, machines made with lots of metal, without too much fancy computerised stuff in them are the way to go. They have to last, don't htey?

Actually, eyeing the Bernina I've pinched off my mother, it's a sport! But she does everything on it. She's made up boxsful of Vogue dress patterns on it, over the years. Houses-full of curtains. Heaps of quilts and fancy cushion covers. And it's so easy to string up with thread, and do the bobbin thing. Even i can do it.

Time to go a hunting. I didn't want to buy from Spotlight anyway, they try to underpay their staff and make us stand in long lines to buy stuff.

Best of luck. I've been amassing old sewing machines for some time now, and am really impressed with the Singer 401 and a Pfaff 360, among others. I had an Elna Supermatic that I gave one of my boys. Runs like a top. Keep your eyes open, and be ready to "test-drive" and I think you'll find a real winner at a good price.